Can I get to the other side?.

Chapter 487 Jia Xu's Worry, Zhen Mi Arrives in Chang'an

Following Liu Xie's order, Cao Chong was soon brought to the Xuanshi.

Xu You stepped forward and introduced him to Liu Xie: "Your Majesty, he is Cao Chong, the fourth son of Cao Cao, born to Cao Cao's concubine."

"Except for him, all other descendants of Cao Cao are dead."

On the day Changsha City was captured, not only Cao Pi, Cao Zhang and Cao Zhi died, but Cao Cao's other descendants were also ordered to be killed by him.

Cao Chong was the only descendant of Cao Cao left.

"Cao Chong?"

When Liu Xie heard the name, his heart moved slightly and he looked at the half-grown child standing in the hall.

Of course he knew about this famous child prodigy in history, and he had heard the story of Cao Chong weighing an elephant since he was a child.

But the Cao Chong in front of him had a wooden expression and dull eyes. Where was the agility and alertness of a child prodigy?
Xu You was a little anxious when he saw Cao Chong had no reaction when he saw the emperor, and even failed to perform the ceremony. He scolded him, "You bastard! Why don't you perform the ceremony when you see His Majesty?"

After hearing Xu You's rebuke, Cao Chong finally responded. He knelt down and saluted Liu Xie, saying, "I, the son of a guilty minister, Cao Chong, pay my respects to Your Majesty."

After saying this, he became dazed again.

Seeing this, Liu Xie couldn't help but frown and asked, "What's wrong with him? Why is he like this?"

Xu You was waiting for the emperor to ask the question, and he immediately answered, "Your Majesty, before Cao Cao committed suicide, he killed his three own sons, and ordered Cao Chong to cut off his head after his death and follow me out of the city to surrender."

"This boy may have been too shocked. He has been looking stupid ever since that day."

He told the matter truthfully.

Because this is the key to whether Cao Chong can survive.

"Oh?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Liu Xie's eyes, and he was somewhat shocked by Cao Cao's ruthless methods.

Not only did he kill his own son, he also forced his young son, who was only six or seven years old, to cut off his father's head with his own hands and then leave the city to surrender.

With such a character, it is no wonder that he could become a hero.

but……

Liu Xie looked at Cao Chong, tightened his grip on the armrests of the dragon throne, and a deep murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

The more terrifying Cao Cao is, the more his descendants cannot be left alive, otherwise they will become a huge hidden danger.

He would never test Cao Chong with questions like weighing an elephant, because people can hide their shortcomings and act stupid, so there is no point in doing so.

The best way is to kill it directly to prevent future troubles.

But the only problem is that Xu You promised Cao Cao after all. In a sense, Xu You made the promise on behalf of the court.

Xu You was a meritorious official, so he certainly could not punish Xu You for the crime of usurpation. Therefore, he could not kill Cao Chong, and had to find a way to deal with him properly.

After thinking for a while, Liu Xie slowly said: "Since Cao Cao has shown remorse and committed suicide to apologize for his crime, then Cao Chong should be spared from death and made a government slave."

Liu Xie announced the final judgment on Cao Chong.

Upon hearing this, Jia Xu could not help but stand up and said, "Your Majesty, Cao thief has committed the crime of treason, this..."

Liu Xie raised his hand to interrupt Jia Xu and said, "Ziyuan has made a promise to Cao Cao. If I kill Cao Chong, wouldn't that make Ziyuan lose his promise?"

“Moreover, I have heard that those who govern the world with filial piety do not harm people’s relatives; those who govern the world with benevolence do not cut off people’s sacrifices.”

"Cao Cao committed the crime of treason, so it is understandable to execute his relatives; but considering that he has shown repentance, it is okay to spare many casualties for our soldiers and to spare his young son's life."

Jia Xu sighed and had to retreat.

Xu You was ashamed and excited, and said to Liu Xie: "Your Majesty, your grace is so great that I am overwhelmed with shame!"

The emperor actually didn't need to care about the promise he made to Cao Cao on behalf of the court, but the emperor still considered his reputation and pardoned Cao Chong. How could he not be moved?

Liu Xie waved his hand and asked Gao Lan to take Cao Chong away. Then he smiled at Xu You and said, "It's just a small matter. Since Ziyuan is here today, don't leave. Stay and help the other ministers handle government affairs."

"I'm tired, come back later."

After saying this, Liu Xie stood up and left the Xuanshi.

All the ministers in the hall stood up to see him off respectfully.

Having resolved his worry, Xu You was very satisfied. However, after thinking about it, he still went to Jia Xu to apologize to him.

"I rashly agreed to Cao's conditions. I was not thoughtful enough. I hope the Grand Marshal will forgive me."

Xu You spoke in a respectful tone and lowered his posture.

He still wants to make progress in the court in the future, but he can't offend Jia Xu because of this incident. He should bow his head.

Jia Xu said calmly: "Since Your Majesty has pardoned Cao Chong's death sentence, what objection can I have?"

"Ziyuan, you should go and handle government affairs. There are many matters to deal with today. If you don't hurry up, I'm afraid you won't be able to finish them before dark."

Sensing that Jia Xu was in a bad mood, Xu You smiled bitterly, bowed, and then found a seat to sit down.

Not far away, Sima Yi was still sleeping soundly, completely unaware that the emperor had just visited.

……

In this way, by the evening, the ministers ended their busy day and left the palace to go home.

Jia Xu and Guo Jia were walking together on their way out of the palace.

Guo Jia saw that Jia Xu was still a little unhappy, so he smiled and said, "It's just a young boy, Wenhe shouldn't bear a grudge against him."

"Although Your Majesty has pardoned him from the death penalty, he has also made him a government slave. He will never have the chance to leave Chang'an in his lifetime. What is there to be afraid of?"

Jia Xu glanced at Guo Jia and said sarcastically, "It seems that Feng Xiao has forgotten the days when he followed His Majesty in Yecheng and walked on thin ice."

"That's right. After all, Fengxiao is now the Grand Tutor, the head of the civil officials, and the number one in Lingyun Pavilion. It's normal for him to be a little arrogant."

"But have you ever thought about what would happen now if Yuan Shao had been more cautious and discovered your and Your Majesty's secret actions?"

Jia Xu's tone was full of sarcasm.

After hearing this, Guo Jia was slightly stunned.

Yeah, when did he become so arrogant?

How did he become the same as Yuan Shao?

Didn't Yuan Shao despise the emperor in the beginning and only let Gao Lan and Zhang He, two surrendered generals, guard the imperial palace, which gave the emperor the opportunity to plot secretly?
Now the emperor let Cao Cao's youngest son Cao Chong go, and he actually thought it was no big deal...

Seeing Guo Jia silent, Jia Xu knew that he had listened to him, so he stopped teasing him and sighed, "It's okay that you are arrogant, but what I am really worried about is His Majesty."

"Your Majesty is only in his early twenties, and you have already achieved such brilliant achievements. If you start to become arrogant and indulge yourself, it will be a disaster for the Han Dynasty."

As the saying goes, a small detail can reveal a big picture. The fact that the emperor let Cao Chong go today made Jia Xu feel particularly uneasy.

Because the emperor had also experienced the days of Yuan Shao's manipulation, and with Yuan Shao's precedent, it stands to reason that he would not let go of a hidden danger like Cao Chong.

So in his opinion, what happened today was a sign of a change in the emperor's character.

Guo Jia had come to his senses by now. He frowned and thought for a moment, then stopped and said, "I'll go and persuade His Majesty to take back his order!"

Jia Xu was right. It was not as simple as just letting Cao Chong go. The important thing was to let the emperor know the reason.

The Han Dynasty is now in a state of disrepair and needs to be rebuilt. There is still a lot of work to be done. The emperor cannot become arrogant and lazy at this time.

"Your Majesty has just announced the pardon of Cao Chong. How could he take it back? And even if you go to persuade him now, His Majesty is unlikely to listen."

"Let's wait for a chance to talk about it."

Jia Xu shook his head and rejected Guo Jia's proposal. Now is not the right time. He has to wait for an opportunity, otherwise it will only displease the emperor.

Guo Jia sighed and had to agree.

But just as the two were about to leave the palace, Gao Lan hurriedly chased after them from behind. "Grand Sima, please stay!"

Jia Xu and Guo Jia stopped and turned to look.

Gao Lan was holding a secret letter in his hand and said to Jia Xu, "Your Majesty's secret order, please open it yourself, Grand Marshal."

Jia Xu frowned and reached out to take it.

He did not avoid Guo Jia who was standing beside him, but directly opened the secret letter and started reading it. After just a glance, a look of surprise appeared on his face.

"This……"

Guo Jia also came forward to read it. After reading it, he burst into laughter and patted Jia Xu's shoulder hard.

"It seems that you and I have been worrying too much."

His tone was very relaxed, without any sign of worry, and this was all because of the four large, iron-painted and silver-hooked characters on the secret letter.

“Cut the grass and root out the roots.”

Jia Xu smiled bitterly, turned around and bowed deeply to the imperial palace behind him.

All the worries in my heart disappeared.

His Majesty is still the same His Majesty, he has never changed, his worries are completely unnecessary.

The emperor gave him the task, obviously wanting him to use the Embroidered Uniform Envoy to kill Cao Chong without anyone noticing.

Just like the last time when Fu Wan was killed by "horse bandits".

After putting the secret letter into his sleeve, Jia Xu glared at Guo Jia and said, "Your Majesty has not changed, but you have really become arrogant. It would be fine if you didn't reflect on yourself, but you actually have the nerve to laugh."

"Being the Grand Master is a big deal, right?"

Guo Jia begged for mercy: "Alright, alright, I know I was wrong, please stop scolding me, can't I change?"

"Don't tell His Majesty about this, or I'll be scolded by His Majesty again."

Jia Xu said seriously: "As your Majesty's subjects, how can we hide anything from your Majesty?"

"Don't worry, I will report the truth to your majesty."

Guo Jia suddenly became anxious, and he held Jia Xu's shoulder and scolded him, "You old fat man, you really don't care about the friendship between colleagues, do you?"

"Let go! I still have a wound on my shoulder. That's where His Majesty personally sucked out the blood for me. You can't touch that!"

"I just touched you! His Majesty sucked your blood, but that's nothing. I even slept with His Majesty on the same bed with our feet touching! Do you have any experience?"

"Oh, just blow it!"

"You don't believe it, right? Let's go and see His Majesty and ask him if this is true!"

The two quarreled and gradually walked away from the palace.

……

Time passed, and a month went by quickly.

This month can be said to be very busy.

After Cao Cao's death, the Han Dynasty was basically unified, but there were still small groups of rebels causing chaos in some areas, and troops had to be sent to suppress them.

In addition, since many county officials were implicated in treason, many areas also needed to have new officials appointed to manage them.

The disadvantages of talent shortage have begun to emerge.

However, the entire Han Empire became stable as a whole, and a new atmosphere began to emerge in the country.

At the end of October, Zhen Mi arrived in Chang'an.

Liu Xie had already sent people to Yecheng to pick up Zhen Mi, but because the journey was long, they did not arrive until late autumn.

"Is this Chang'an?"

Zhen Mi sat in the carriage, looking at the magnificent city in front of her through the window curtain, and expressed the same emotion as many people who came to Chang'an for the first time.

In her arms, she was holding Liu Jue.

Zhen Mi looked down at the child in her arms, a hint of tenderness and expectation in her eyes.

She hadn't met Liu Xie for more than half a year, and the thought of meeting Liu Xie in Chang'an was almost becoming a source of worry for her.

Fortunately, we finally arrived safely.

"Jue'er, you're going to meet your father soon, tell your mother whether you are happy or not~"

Zhen Mi stretched out her slender jade fingers and teased the child in her arms.

Liu Jue inherited his mother Zhen Mi's appearance. Although he is only a few months old, he looks very cute.

Especially the pair of big eyes, which are exceptionally bright and lively.

After hearing Zhen Mi's words, he stretched out his little hand, held Zhen Mi's fingers, and giggled.

Zhen Mi couldn't help but smile when she saw this.

The convoy soon arrived at the palace. In front of the palace gate, Liu Xie and Lu Lingqi had been waiting for a long time.

"My beloved concubine!"

Seeing Zhen Mi's graceful figure walking down from the carriage, Liu Xie couldn't help but feel excited and stepped forward to hug her in his arms.

"I miss you so much!"

Seeing this, the guards, palace maids and eunuchs around all lowered their heads at the same time, looking at their noses and their hearts.

Zhen Mi's pretty face flushed, her heart was sweet and shy, she whispered: "Your Majesty, so many people are watching..."

"so what?"

Liu Xie did not let go at all, raised his eyebrows and said: "My beloved concubine, I can hug you whenever I want, who dares to criticize me?"

"They say that a short absence is better than a new marriage. It's only been a short time since we last met, why are you so estranged from me, my beloved concubine?"

Zhen Mi was a little panicked when she heard this, thinking that Liu Xie was blaming her, so after hesitating for a long time, she finally plucked up her courage, stood on tiptoe, and kissed Liu Xie on the lips like a chick pecking at rice.

"Is this enough?"

Zhen Mi's face was so red that it almost bled.

The look he gave Liu Xie was even more tearful.

Seeing Zhen Mi's charming appearance, Liu Xie felt his blood rushing down and he could hardly control himself.

But he was a shrewd man after all, and he suppressed his impulse. He just bent his waist slightly, coughed lightly and said, "There are people around, my beloved, please be serious."

"Your Majesty, you..."

When Zhen Mi heard Liu Xie imitating what she had just said, she became so angry that her face turned even redder and she felt quite resentful.

It was you who said that we were estranged, that's why I acted like this.

Seeing this, Lü Lingqi smiled and said, "Your Majesty, stop teasing Sister Zhen. Where is Jue'er? I have been wanting to see him for a long time."

"Sister, won't you bring him out so that His Majesty and I can see him?"

After teasing Zhen Mi, Liu Xie was in a good mood. After hearing what Lu Lingqi said, he finally remembered that he had a son, so he asked: "I almost forgot, where is Jue'er? Where is he?"

"Bring it out so I can take a good look at it."

Zhen Mi calmed her pounding heart, gave Liu Xie a resentful look, and then went to the carriage to pick up Liu Jue.

(End of this chapter)